REVERTED SUPER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26963, 24 December 1948, Page 8

REVERTED SUPER

CONSOLIDATION IN BAGS SUBJECT DISCUSSED The consolidation of reverted superphosphate is the subject of a letter by an Otago farmer to the Daily Times, which has obtained from the manufacturers a statement on the difficulties that have arisen. “Not infrequently adverse comments are made about the farmers’ un-co-operative attitude towards taking spread delivei\y of fertilisers so as to enable the manufacturers to maintain a comparatively regular output and to avoid disappointment when urgent deliveries are required,” the farmer writes. “ During recent years the physical state of fertilisers has been such that if the farmer cannot sow his supplies shortly after its delivery to him, he is faced with a serious loss, because the manure sets in the bags in his shed to a consistency approaching concrete. Why is this so? Among farmers there is widespread dissatisfaction. but individually they are unwilling to ‘ bell the cat ’ for fear of reprisals from powerful vested interests.” Exhausting Work Referring to his latest -experience, the farmer states that he received a Sarcel of reverted superphosphate in 'ovember and, because of the weather, could not sow it until a month later. By this time it had set so bard in the bags (it had been stored under ideal conditions) that it had to be broken up by hammering with iron bars to reduce it to a state where it would go through a drill. The time taken was at least five man-hours a ton of heavy and exhausting work to produce, even then a comparatively rough and unequal product. The farmer asks if the product can be improved by modernised methods of manufacture, and if reverted superphosphate loses some of its effectiveness in consolidation. When the letter was referred to the manufacturers they stated that they welcomed constructive criticism from farmers at all times, and that there need be no fears of reprisals. Seasonal Demand “ The manufacturers are most anxious that farmers should not experience the troubles mentioned in his letter but circumstances arise at times, particularly in the months of October and November, when the demand for reverted super is so heavy that the product cannot stand a sufficient length of time in storage to mature and cool prior to despatch.” it was explained. “ The man who uses it promptly does not experience these difficulties and the only alternative would be to stop all despatches at that time, until the required maturing has taken place, and this, of course, would penalise the man who could use it immediately, and this type predominates at this time of the year. “The manufacturers are using every endeavour within their power to get around these difficulties and. within reason, could give an assurance that if reverted super can be stored the requisite time before despatch, no subsequent setting should take place in the bags. When it becomes necessary to store this product in farmers’ barns for any lengthy period, however, it is advisable to inspect periodically, and should there be any tendency to set, the bags should be dumped and stored with a minimum amount of pressure in a dry building. “If the bags are tightly sewn it is also an advantage to open them.” The manufacturers said that there was no loss of fertilising value during the consolidation in the bags. In conclusion, the manufacturers extended a welcome to the writer of the letter and other farmers to discuss the subject with them.